Cover assembly and method for covering undersink piping

ABSTRACT

A cover assembly and methods for covering undersink piping includes insulative cover pieces placed over respective pipe sections such that their ends are adjacent at pipe junctures. Collars are slidable over or inside the cover pieces to be moved to cover the junctures. An alternative cover structure may be wrapped around the pipe juncture to form a generally continuous insulative cover, or alternatively, the fastening structures are insulated such that when the pipe sections are assembled together, the cover pieces and insulating fastening structures form a continuous insulative cover. In an alternative embodiment, one of the cover pieces is dimensioned to slide upwardly and downwardly on a pipe section and a collar structure is placed over the exposed pipe section to provide a continuous cover piece. In another alternative embodiment, pipe sections such as a trap pipe or offset grid drain are insulated by a unique insulative method to produce a generally continuous insulative cover layer on the pipe section which is free of slits or openings to prevent contaminants and bacteria from accumulating on the pipe. A still further embodiment utilizes a cover piece for a trap pipe which includes a projection and closure structure for covering the drain opening of the trap pipe but allowing access to the drain opening without requiring removal of the cover piece or disassembly of the P-trap piping assembly.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/271,439filed on Jul. 7, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,668, entitled COVERASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR COVERING UNDERSINK PIPING, which is acontinuation in part of application Ser. No. 08/146,999 now U.S. Pat.No. 5,341,830, entitled "Cover Assembly and Method For CoveringUndersink Piping" filed Oct. 29, 1993 which applications are completelyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to undersink piping such as P-trapdrains and water supply piping, and specifically discloses apparatus andmethods to cover the undersink piping so as to insulate the piping andto protect a person from abrasions and burns caused by contact with thepiping.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventionally, water which drains from a sink or basin, such as arestroom sink, travels through the drain opening of the sink and emptiesinto undersink piping which directs the water from the sink into thebuilding's waste water system. The undersink drain piping is referred toas a "P-trap" drain, and "P-trap" assemblies are common to many sinks,both commercial and residential. The P-trap piping assembly includesvertical pipe section which extends downwardly from the sink drainopening and below the sink to a J-shaped pipe section. The J-shaped pipesection makes a 180° bend and then extends vertically upward to connectto an L-shaped pipe piece which makes a 90° bend from the J-shaped pieceto extend generally horizontally into the wall to connect the P-trapwith the waste water system of the building. The J-shaped portion servesthe purpose of capturing or trapping any foreign objects which fall downthe drain and which may become lodged in the waste water drainage systemtherefore clogging the system, hence the name "P-trap". Under the forceof gravity, any foreign objects will sit in the bottom of the J-shapedsection to be subsequently removed, such as by a plumber. Also extendingbelow sinks are hot and cold water supply pipes commonly referred to assupply water angle valves, which include supply line sections connectedto a water supply that extend generally horizontally from the wall toconnect to a valve and faucet line sections that extend generallyvertically upward from the valve to connect to the sink faucet.

Current building regulations require that restroom facilities in apublic building, such as restroom sinks, be accessible to all people,including disabled persons. Disabled persons, such as persons inwheelchairs, must often maneuver the chair partially under the sink toaccess it. Since the water supply pipes and P-trap drain pipes protrudefrom the wall there is a risk of abrasions from the hard piping or evenburns from the temperature of the water and piping to the legs of aperson confined to a wheelchair. The current federal and stateregulations regarding undersink piping, most notably the Americans WithDisabilities Act (ADA), require that the P-trap and water supply pipingbe covered and insulated so as to protect a person using the sink frombeing burned or from incurring injuries from impact with the piping. Asa result of these regulations, various methods and apparatuses have beenutilized to try and adequately cover and insulate undersink P-traps andwater supply piping. In the past, one of the more popular methods ofinsulation was to utilize loose foam insulation which was wrapped aroundthe piping. However, traditional foam insulation usually fit poorly andwas difficult to secure resulting in wasted time and frustration by theplumber or other installer. Furthermore, the foam wrap, due to its poorfit and inadequate securing means, was not very aesthetically pleasingin its appearance. Additionally, the ribbed construction of a wrappedpipe leaves ridges and cavities which trap dirt and other bacteria underthe sink.

Various other methods and apparatuses have been utilized to cover aP-trap and supply piping beneath a sink as is evidenced by variouspatents in the field. However, besides often being ineffective, many ofthese other devices and methods are still difficult and time consumingto secure and use, requiring various fasteners and other securing meansto hold the insulation and coverings to the piping. For example, variousexisting undersink pipe coverings utilize lengthwise slits on all of thedifferent cover pieces to fit them over the piping, which requiresexternal fasteners to clamp the slit pieces together circumferentially.Further, existing coverings include various ridges, slits and/oropenings on the cover piece which have a tendency to trap dirt and otherbacteria around the coverings and pipes. Such openings and slits may beinappropriate for use in sterile environments such as hospitals wheretrapped bacteria may lead to infection of persons using the facilities.

Still further, some of the various currently available cover devices donot present a pleasant appearance when installed, and do not wear wellhaving a tendency to spread at various slits and openings.

Accordingly, there is still a need for a simple and sanitary P-trap andsupply pipe cover assembly and method which addresses the shortcoming ofthe existing devices and methods. It is therefore an object of thepresent invention to provide such a cover assembly and method whichaddresses the shortcomings of prior devices and is still effective toprevent a disabled person from being burned or bruised and cut by thepiping when using a sink.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention accomplishes the desired results as discussedhereinabove by presenting an improved cover assembly for the P-trapdrainage and supply pipes located under a sink which is relativelyinexpensive and simple to manufacture, simple to install in a very shorttime requiring little or no external fasteners, adequately secured tothe piping when installed and effective to prevent abrasions and burns,and aesthetically pleasing in appearance with a smooth, outer surfacehaving minimal cavities or openings that might trap dirt and otherbacteria. More specifically, the invention comprises a novel assembly ofseparate pipe-covering pieces which are configured to fit over thevarious pipe sections of undersink P-trap drains and over the juncturesand fastening structures between the pipe sections. The pieces of theinvention cooperate one with the other in a unique and novel way toadequately cover and insulate the associated piping.

To that end, one embodiment of the present invention includes a P-trapcover assembly comprising a generally straight insulative piece which isconfigured to cover the generally straight pipe section extendingdownwardly from the sink drain opening to the J-shaped pipe section of aP-trap. A second insulative piece is generally J-shaped having two endsand is configured to cover the J-shaped trap pipe section of the P-trap.A third piece is generally L-shaped and configured to cover the L-shapedpipe section which extends from one end of the J-shaped pipe sectionback to the wall of the building to connect the drain to waste water orsewerage lines. When the cover pieces of the invention are installed onthe respective pipe sections of conventional P-trap drain piping, theadjacent ends of the straight and J-shaped pieces are positionedproximate a forward pipe juncture while an end of the L-shaped piece andthe other end of the J-shaped cover piece are adjacent one another andare positioned proximate a rearward juncture. The junctures are leftexposed so that the pipe sections may be secured together at thejunctures by a plumber or other installer using the securing mechanisms,such as conventional pipe nuts. Slidable collar structures arepositioned proximate to each of the junctures.

Each slidable collar structure slides along a portion of one of the pipesections and slides with respect to an insulative cover piece whichcovers the pipe section. Each collar structure is operable to be slidaway from the pipe juncture so that the pipe sections may be joinedtogether and is further operable to be slid over the juncture to form,with the cover pieces, a generally continuous insulative cover over thejoined pipe sections. One embodiment of the slidable collar structurehas a diameter larger than one of the adjacent cover pieces so that itmay be slid over that cover piece toward and away from the juncture.Preferably, the slidable collar is dimensioned in length to cover theentire pipe juncture between the adjacent cover pieces, although a smallportion of the juncture may be exposed without affecting theeffectiveness of the invention. In another embodiment, the collarstructure is dimensioned in diameter to be partially slidable inside aportion of one of the cover pieces between the cover piece and therespective pipe section. The collar structure is slid the cover pieceand away from the juncture when the pipe sections are being joinedtogether, and is then slid over the juncture to form a generallycontinuous insulative cover in accordance with the present invention. Analternative version of the slidable collar structure utilizes two collarpieces which slide over or inside the cover pieces and extend over thejuncture and overlap or abut to form the collar structure. Preferably,collar structures cover both the forward and rearward pipe junctions tocreate a continuous insulative cover over the entire undersink pipingassembly.

The slidable collar structures allow quick and easy assembly and use ofthe invention by exposing the pipe junctures and the pipe nuts forfurther manipulation in completing the P-trap drain assembly even afterthe insulative cover pieces have been placed on the pipes. Since theslidable collar structures are slid back to expose the junctures whilethe cover pieces are in position on the pipe sections, the cover piecesdo not have to be forced or moved in various directions to assemble thepipe sections. Nor do the pipe sections have to first be assembled intoa complete P-trap and the insulative cover pieces subsequently placedthereon as is necessary with many of the current devices. This amountsto a substantial savings in time when applying the invention andassembling a P-trap drain. Furthermore, since the collars allow theindividual cover pieces of the invention to be applied to the respectivepipe sections prior to assembly of the P-trap, the cover pieces requirelittle or no additional securement to the pipe sections afterinstallation. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, theL-shaped and straight cover pieces are essentially whole, tubular pieceswhich, because of the slidable collars, may be placed over therespective pipe sections prior to assembly of the P-trap. Once installedwith the collar structures slid down, the cover pieces completely covertheir respective pipe sections and are secure thereon without need foradditional securing mechanisms.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the collarstructure has opposing ends and is operable to be wrapped around thepipe juncture and fastened at its opposing ends to form a continuouscollar structure around the juncture after the pipes have been fastenedtogether. The various collars may be formed of a flexible material to befolded back to allow access to the junctures after they have beeninstalled.

In a still further alternative embodiment, the present inventionutilizes an insulated pipe nut or other insulated fastening structure.The individual insulative cover pieces are placed on their respectivepipe sections and the pipes are then joined at the juncture utilizingthe insulated pipe nut. The insulated pipe nut attaches the pipesections together and forms a generally continuous insulative cover overthe pipe sections at the juncture. In one version, the insulative nutincludes an extension section of insulative material which isdimensioned to either abut with, overlap or slide within the end of thecover piece.

In another alternative embodiment of the present invention, one of thecover pieces, such as the generally straight insulative cover piece, isdimensioned shorter than the respective pipe section which it insulates.The cover piece may then be slid upwardly toward the drain opening toexpose the juncture so that the pipe sections may be joined together.The cover piece is then operable to be slid downwardly such that thecorner piece covers and insulates the juncture and exposes a portion ofthe pipe section proximate the drain from which the pipe sectionextends. A collar structure, such as a slidable, wrappable, or flexiblecollar as previously discussed, is placed over the exposed pipe portionto form a generally continuous insulative cover from the sink drain tothe wall. In one version, stop projections are included on the generallystraight cover piece or the J-shaped cover piece proximate the juncture.The stop projections preferably extend inwardly of the cover piece suchthat the projections abut against the pipe nut at the juncture oragainst the end of the adjacent cover piece to prevent the furthermovement of one cover piece, such as the generally straight piece, withrespect to an adjacent cover piece, such as the J-shaped piece. The stopprojections seat the two cover pieces together.

The outside surfaces of the cover pieces and the collar and insulatednut structures are preferably smooth such that when the invention iscompletely assembled over a P-trap, it is aesthetically pleasing inappearance giving the impression of a single, continuous cover. Theinvention has minimal cavities or openings in the smooth exposed outersurface, therefore reducing the possibility that dirt or other bacteriamight be trapped in and around the cover and P-trap.

A further embodiment of the invention utilizes a J-shaped cover piecefor covering a trapped pipe section which includes a drain openingsealed with a closure plug. The J-shaped cover piece includes first andsecond straight portions joined by a curved portion and a hollowprojection preferably extending from the outermost point of the curvedportion to surround and cover the drain opening and closure plug. Theprojection defines an opening which is closable by a cap, cover plug, orhinged flap, for example, which may be removed to allow access to thedrain opening and closure plug through the projection. Anotherembodiment of the cover includes a recessed cavity to allow access tothe drain opening. This allows access to the drain opening of the P-trapwithout removing the entire insulative cover from the drain pipingassembly.

As the invention is used to comply with various federal and stateregulations regarding the coverage of undersink piping which isaccessible to disabled persons, it is quite possible that a person usingthe invention will encounter a P-trap piping assembly under a sinkcontaining an offset grid drain. An offset grid drain fits between asink drain and a conventional P-trap and is utilized under sinksspecifically designed for persons with disabilities to move the P-trappiping assembly rearwardly away from the from of the sink and toward thewall thus allowing greater space under the sink.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, drain pipe sectionssuch as a J-shaped trap section and an offset grid drain are covered bya unique insulating process to produce an insulative cover piece on thepipe section which is free of a slit along the substantial portion ofits length to provide a generally continuous cover which completelycovers the trap pipe and prevents dirt and contaminants from beingtrapped on the cover piece and trap pipe. Preferably, the cover piece iscompletely free from any slits or openings along its length to providecomplete coverage of the pipe section and to more effectively preventdirt and contaminants from accumulating in such slits or openings. Themethod includes heating the pipe sections and sealing its ends. Variousof the pipe sections include threaded ends, and the sections are sealedsuch that the threaded ends are protected and are not exposed. A layerof liquified insulation materials is then applied to the heated pipesection and the material layer is cured until it hardens to form aninsulative layer. The ends are then unsealed such that the insulatedpipe section may be readily installed beneath a sink. The process yieldsundersink pipe sections covered generally completely with an insulativelayer which are ready for installation such as by using a collarstructure as discussed above. The unsealed pipe ends leave the threadsfree from insulative material which allows proper fastening of the pipesections together at juncture and then subsequent covering of thejuncture with a collar structure.

As a result, the present invention provides cover assemblies which arerelatively inexpensive and simple to manufacture. Furthermore, the coverassemblies are simple to install in a very short time requiring littleor no external fasteners and no special tools. The cover assembliesadequately cover the exposed undersink piping and are effective toprevent abrasions and burns, particularly with persons in a wheelchairwho may find their legs beneath the sink. The cover assemblies of thepresent invention are aesthetically pleasing when installed having asmooth, outer surface with minimal cavities or other openings that mighttrap or accumulate dirt and other bacteria under the sink. Oneembodiment of the present invention provides a continuous insulativecover with no openings or slits which is suitable for use in hospitalsand other sterile environments where bacteria and dirt are a significantconcern. Further advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description of the invention given below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a sink and piping assembly onwhich the present invention is used;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of a sink assembly with the undersinkpiping covered by the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a sink assembly with the undersink pipingincluding an offset grid drain covered by the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a disassembled perspective view of the present inventioninstalled around various pipe sections;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a cover of the present invention shownaround an offset grid drain;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the complete invention around theassembled drain and water supply piping.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D are side views, in partial section, of variousversions of the embodiment of the present invention utilizing a slidingcollar structure;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a sink assembly with the undersink pipingcovered by the present invention and associated collar structures;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are perspective views, in partial section, of analternative embodiment of the present invention utilizing a wrappablecollar structure;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are side views, in partial section, of an alternativeembodiment of the present invention utilizing insulated fasteningstructures;

FIG. 10 is a side view of a sink assembly with piping covered by analternative embodiment of the insulative cover of the present inventionutilizing a collar structure to cover an exposed pipe section;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are side views, in partial section, of the generallystraight cover piece of FIG. 10 showing a stop projection on the coverpiece;

FIG. 12 is a side view, in partial section, of an alternative embodimentof the cover assembly of FIG. 10 with the stop projection on theJ-shaped cover piece;

FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 13C are side views, in partial section, of analternative embodiment of the J-shaped cover piece of the presentinvention, including a projection allowing access to a drain openingwith various projection sealing apparatuses;

FIG. 14A and 14B are front perspective views a setup for coveringvarious offset grid drains with an insulative cover layer applied inaccordance with the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 15 is a side view of a setup for coveting a J-shaped trap pipesection with an insulative cover layer in accordance with the principlesof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a conventional sink assembly 10 which might be utilized inpublic facilities and which, therefore, must comply with variousfederal, state and local ordinances regarding accessibility by disabledpersons and covering of undersink piping, notably the Americans WithDisabilities Act (ADA). Assembly 10 shows a sink basin 12, a faucetspout 14, and faucet valve handles 16 and 18 for directing hot and coldwater, respectively, through faucet spout 14 and into basin 12. Beneaththe sink are located various pipe assemblies for supplying water to thefaucet 14 and draining water from the sink basin 12. Specifically, atraditional P-trap pipe assembly 20 is shown comprising an L-shaped pipesection 22, a 180° bend pipe on or J-shaped pipe section 24 and astraight pipe section 26. The straight pipe on 26 extends downwardlyfrom a sink basin drain opening (not shown) carrying waste water fromthe sink basin 12 to the J-shaped trap section 24. The straight section26 connects with a vertical front portion 28 of the J-shaped trapsection 24. Water flowing through the J-shaped section 24 travels up thevertical rear portion 30 of J-shaped section 24 and into L-shapedsection 22 which is connected to the waste water system (not shown)within the internal plumbing of the structure behind wall 29. TheJ-shaped trap section 24 traps solid objects which may have fallen downthe drain opening. While the straight section 26 extends generallyvertically, the transitional curve 27 of the L-shaped section 22 orientsthat section to extend generally horizontally with respect to a floorsurface.

The conventional P-trap pipe assembly 20 in FIG. 1 is shown connected toan offset grid drain 35 which is often used with handicap accessiblesinks. The offset grid drain 35 connects between the sink drain and thestraight pipe section 26 of the P-trap. The drain 35 extends rearwardlyfrom the front of basin 12 to effectively move the P-trap pipingassembly 20 rearwardly away from the front of sink and out of the way ofa person in a wheelchair.

Hot and cold water are supplied to faucet 14 by way of the hot and coldwater supply pipe and valve assemblies, or water angle valves as theyare commonly known, 31 and 33, as will be described further hereinbelow.

The various piping sections 22, 24, 26 and 35 are connected together atjunctures 32, 34, and 37 utilizing fastening structures such asconventional pipe fastening nuts 36, 38, and 39. For example, nut 38secured to straight section 26 might be screwed onto a threaded end ofthe J-shaped section 24 until sections 26 and 24 are held together atjuncture 32 in a watertight seal (See FIG. 4). Alternatively othersecuring structures or methods might be used as will be recognized by aperson of ordinary skill in the art. Sections 22 and 24 might besimilarly fastened together using nut 36 over a threaded end on the rearportion 30 of J-shaped section 24 and sections 26 and 35 securedtogether in a like manner using nut 39. Alternatively, an offset griddrain 35 might not be used and the P-trap drain assembly would then bedirectly connected to the drain opening (not shown) of basin 12 (SeeFIG. 2).

FIGS. 2 and 3 show an embodiment of the cover of the present inventionin use on various undersink water supply and P-trap drain assemblies.Specifically, FIG. 2 shows a sink basin 50 having a conventional P-trapdrain 52 and water supply angle valves 54. FIG. 3, on the other hand,shows a basin 56 which is connected to a conventional P-trap drain 58through an offset grid drain 60. As shown in FIG. 3, the offset griddrain 60 moves the P-trap 58 rearwardly a horizontal distance D from thefront of the basin 56 as opposed to FIG. 2 where only a P-trap drain 52is used without an offset grid drain.

FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 4a, and 5 show views of several embodiments of thepresent invention installed over the various P-trap and water supplypipe sections of an undersink piping assembly. One embodiment of thecover of the present invention includes a straight piece 70 which isconfigured to have an elongated cylindrical tubular body to cover thestraight pipe section of the P-trap. Cover piece 70 extends fromproximate the upper end 72 of pipe 74 and approximately the entirelength of pipe 74 to proximate lower end 76 of pipe 74. It should beunderstood that pipe section 74 extending down from a sink drain maydeviate from being perfectly straight, and cover piece 70 may beconfigured to cover such a pipe without deviating from the scope of thepresent invention. Integral with the cover piece 70 at the lower endthereof is an integral, flexible collar 78. Flexible collar 78 ispreferably of a larger diameter than the rest of cover piece 70 and isbendable and configured to be folded upwardly and back along the lengthof cover piece 70 as shown in FIG. 4 when cover piece 70 is placed overpipe section 74. The cover piece 70 is whole and unslit along its lengthand is slid over pipe section 74. As such, cover piece 70 generallyprovides complete coverage of pipe section 74. When installation of thecover pieces and assembly of the P-trap is complete, collar 78 is foldeddown over pipe nut 80 as will be described hereinbelow in greater detailand as is shown in FIG. 5.

The cover of the invention further includes an L-shaped cover piece 82which is configured to be placed over the P-trap L-shaped pipe section88 extending from the trap section 24 to the wall 29. L-shaped coverpiece 82 has a generally elongated cylindrical tubular body 84 whichextends from the wall end 86 of L-shaped pipe section 88 to a curvesection 90 at the opposite end 94. The curve 90 of cover piece 82 isapproximately 90° to form the L-shape and a short portion 92 extendsdownwardly from the curve 90 to the end 94 of L-shaped pipe section 88.The wall end 86 of pipe section 88 is connected to the internal plumbing(not shown) of the structure which lies behind the wall 29 (see FIGS. 1,2, and 3). A pipe nut 96 is affixed to the end 94 of L-shaped pipe trapsection 88 for fastening pipe section 88 to the J-shaped pipe section98. Integral with the short portion 92 of cover piece 82 is a flexiblecollar 100 which may be folded back along short portion 92 away from nut96 during installation of piece 82. Similar to collar 78, collar 100 ispreferably dimensioned larger in diameter than body and short portion 92and is flexible to fold forward to cover nut 96 after assembly of theP-trap drain and the invention has been completed as described furtherbelow (See FIG. 5). The J-shaped trap section 98 has threaded portionson the ends 104, 106 thereof onto which nuts 80 and 96 are screwed,respectively, to secure the P-trap drain pieces together into acompleted P-trap drain assembly as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5. Aswith cover piece 70, the L-shaped cover piece 82 is designed to coverthe generally L-shaped pipe section 86 and may deviate from an exactL-shape without deviating from the scope of the invention.

J-shaped trap pipe section 98 is covered by the generally J-shaped coverpiece 108 of the invention. J-shaped cover piece 108 has two generallyparallel straight sections 110, 112 and a 180° bend 114 so as toadequately cover the J-shaped pipe section 98. J-shaped cover piece 108has flexible collars 116, 118 proximate ends 104, 106, respectivelywhich roll back along the straight sections 110, 112 respectively whenthe cover piece 108 is installed onto the J-shaped pipe section 98.Piece 108 is installed over pipe section 98 and the collars 116, 118 arefolded back along sections 110, 112 as shown in FIG. 4. When the collars116, 118 are folded back and downwardly, the threads of pipe ends 104,106 are exposed to receive nuts 80 and 96, respectively so that thevarious pipe sections may be assembled together at junctures. Thecollars 116, 118 of cover piece 108 are preferably dimensioned largerthan the end portions 104, 106.

The cover piece 108 in one embodiment of the invention has longitudinalslits 117 and 119 on the lengths of sections 110 and 112, respectively.The slits 117, 119 extend downwardly from the collared ends of piece 108to proximate the bend 114 and allow sections 110, 112 to be spread orsplit apart for easier installation of cover piece 108 over the pipesection 98. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, as shown inFIG. 15 and discussed further hereinbelow, the J-shaped pipe section 98is covered with a layer of insulative cover material. In thatembodiment, the longitudinal slits would generally not be necessarybecause an insulative cover layer is already on the pipe section 98.

When the pipes 72, 88, and 98 are assembled together and nuts 80 and 96are securely fastened to the ends 104, 106 of pipe 98 to complete theP-trap and form a watertight seal at the junctures between the pipesections, the flexible collars 116, 118 of J-shaped cover piece 108 arefolded upwardly to cover the juncture between the pipes and to cover therespective pipe nuts 80 and 96. Then, collars 78 and 100 on cover pieces70 and 82 are folded downwardly over nuts 80 and 96, respectively. Asshown in FIG. 5, the opposing collars 78, 116, and 100, 118 form adouble overlap of the junctures between the various pipe sections of theassembled P-trap drain. The double overlapping collars provide acontinuous coverage of the P-trap drain assembly from the wall throughthe trap section and upwardly to the sink. Furthermore, the doubleoverlapping collars cover a portion of the slits 117, 119 and close theslits to secure cover piece 108 to the pipe section and prevent dirt orbacteria from being trapped in an open slit. FIG. 2 shows a coveredP-trap assembly using the various cover pieces 70, 82, and 108 of thepresent invention. The invention, by providing a complete insulativecover over the P-trap assembly, protects a person contacting theundersink piping from abrasions and burns.

In accordance with the present invention, the folding of the opposingflexible collars during assembly might be reversed, such as by havingthe flexible collars 116 and 118 of section 108 overlap collars 78 and100, respectively. However, it is desirable to have the upper collars78, 100 overlap the lower collars 116, 118 in order to prevent an outerupturned collar which may collect dirt and other bacteria beneath thesink. As may be seen in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, the completely assembledP-trap cover assembly of the present invention provides an aestheticallypleasing and smooth drain piping cover which completely covers andinsulates the P-trap drain piping to prevent injury to persons that comein contact with the undersink piping.

Alternatively, FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D (6A-6D) illustrate alternativeembodiments of the present invention which utilize slidable collarstructures which are separate from the individual cover pieces.Specifically, the collar structures of FIGS. 6A-6D are configured to beslid generally upwardly or downwardly with respect to the pipe junctureand the adjacent pipe sections and insulative cover pieces. Referring toFIG. 6A, a cover piece 160 with an end 161 is placed proximate afastening structure such as fastening nut 162. The cover piece 160 maybe slid over pipe section 166 before the pipe section 166 is assembledinto a drain assembly or may be placed on the pipe after the drainassembly in completely assembled. The end 161 is positioned near a pipejuncture on one side of fastening nut 162. Another cover piece 164 withan end 165 is positioned proximate to fastening nut 162 on the otherside of the nut opposite cover piece 160. Cover pieces 160 and 164 aresituated on pipe sections 166 and 168 such that their respective ends161 and 165 are adjacent the juncture between the pipe sections. Thepipe juncture could be either the forward juncture 214 or rearwardjuncture of the undersink P-trap piping assembly 215 as shown in FIG. 7.Accordingly, the cover pieces 160, 164 may be either two of the threecover pieces 70, 82, and 108 as shown in FIG. 2, for example. A collarstructure 170 is shown around the pipe juncture and nut 162 and isdimensioned larger than one or both of the insulative cover pieces 160,164 such that it may be slid on the respective cover piece to be movedtoward or away from the juncture.

When installing the insulative cover assembly with collar structure 170,the cover pieces 160 and 164 are first placed over their respective pipesections 166 and 168. Collar structure 170 is then placed on a pipesection 166, 168 and is slid downwardly over cover piece 160 or upwardlyover cover piece 164 to cover fastening nut 162 and the pipe junctureand to overlap the respective ends 161 and 165 of cover pieces 160 and164 when the pipe sections 166, 168 are assembled together. Preferably,collar structure 170 is dimensioned in length L1 to overlap the ends 161and 165 simultaneously to provide a generally continuous insulativecover structure over the pipe juncture as shown in FIG. 6A. However, asmay be appreciated, the collar structure may be dimensioned to extendbetween ends 161, 165 to leave a small portion of one or both of thepipe sections exposed or may abut against the ends 161, 165 (not shown)herein, general continuous covering of the pipe juncture refers toeither complete coverage, such as overlapping collars and cover pieceends, or coverage wherein the collars and cover pieces abut or leaveexposed a small section of pipe. In either scenario, the presentinvention provides sufficient insulation and protection of the pipes.Collar structure 170 is preferably made of the same insulative materialused to make the cover pieces 160, 164. For example, collar structure170 might be made of a flexible material which will allow the collarstructure 170 to be folded back after it has been slid over nut 162 inthe pipe juncture to allow access to nut 162 and the pipe juncture. Sucha flexible collar 171 is shown in phantom in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6B illustrates an alternative version of the slidable collar asshown in FIG. 6A. Specifically, the collar structure 172 includes twoopposing collar pieces 174 and 176 wherein one of the collar piecesoverlaps the other. Both of the collar pieces 174 and 176 are configuredand dimensioned to fit over their respective cover pieces 178 and 180such that they may be slid individually over these cover pieces. Forexample, collar piece 174 would be slid upwardly and downwardly on coverpiece 178 while collar piece 176 would be similarly slid over coverpiece 180. Once the pipe sections are fastened together by fastening nut182, the collar pieces 174 and 176 overlap one another to form agenerally continuous insulative cover pieces collar structure at thejuncture as shown in FIG. 6B. While collar piece 174 is shown to overlapcollar piece 176, it should be understood that piece 176 might overlappiece 174. Alternatively, the two collar pieces 174 and 176 might abutagainst each other rather than overlap to form a generally continuousinsulative cover over the pipe juncture. As discussed with FIG. 6A, thecollar pieces 174 and 176 might also be flexible to allow them to befolded back (not shown) when it is necessary to access to fastening nut182 at the pipe juncture.

FIGS. 6C and 6D illustrate still further versions of the slidable collarstructure of the present invention. FIG. 6C shows a slidable collarstructure 186 which is dimensioned generally smaller in diameter thanthe diameter of the adjacent cover pieces 188 and 190. In that way,slidable collar 186 may be slid upwardly or downwardly with respect tofastening nut 192 and the pipe juncture and within one of the adjacentcover pieces 188 and 190. In use, collar 186 might be slid downwardlyinto cover piece 190 between the cover piece 190 and the respective pipesection 194. Pipe section 194 would then be attached to an adjacent pipesection 196 by fastening nut 192, and the collar structure 186 would beslid upwardly over nut 192 and over the pipe juncture. Cover 186 mightalso be dimensioned to partially slide within cover piece 188 betweenthe cover piece 188 and pipe section 196. Alternatively, as shown inphantom in FIG. 6C, while the lower end 198 of collar structure 186might be dimensioned to slide partially inside of cover piece 190, theupper end 200 might be dimensioned to have a diameter larger then theouter diameter of cover piece 188, and accordingly, the upper end 200 ofcollar structure 186 would slide on the outside of cover piece 188.Still further, the collar 186 might be flexible to expand and extendover the ends of the cover pieces, or the ends of the cover pieces maybe flexible to roll back and then roll forward over the collar structure186. As mentioned above, collar structure 186 is preferably dimensionedin length so that it completely covers fastening nut 192 and the pipejuncture and overlaps with each of the respective cover pieces 188, 190to provide a generally continuous insulative cover over the pipejuncture.

FIG. 6D discloses an alternative version of the slidable collarstructure illustrated in FIG. 6C, which is partially slidable inside atleast one of the respective cover pieces at a pipe juncture. Morespecifically, slidable collar structure 202 of FIG. 6D includes opposingcollar pieces 204 and 206 wherein one or both of the collar pieces 204and 206 are partially slidable inside of their respective cover pieces208 and 210. Preferably, collar pieces 204 and 206 are dimensioned tooverlap at fastening nut 212 to completely cover the pipe juncture.Alternatively, the collar structures might be dimensioned such that theyonly abut one another at their ends proximate fastening nut 212.Further, the collar structure 202 created by overlapping collar pieces204, 206 might be dimensioned to slide partially inside and partiallyoutside the respective cover pieces. As mentioned above, collarstructure 186, or alternatively collar pieces 204 and 206 might be madeof a flexible material to be folded away from the respective fasteningnuts 192, 212 and the pipe junctures whenever necessary, as shown inphantom in FIG. 6D.

As mentioned, the slidable collar structures of FIGS. 6A-6D might beutilized at either of the major pipe junctures of a P-trap pipingassembly. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the slidable collarstructures of FIG. 6A-6D might be utilized to cover the forward pipejuncture 214 and rearward pipe juncture 216 of a P-trap assembly 215. Asdiscussed further hereinbelow, alternative collar structures might alsobe utilized at junctures 214 and 216 in order to cover the junctures andform a generally continuous insulative cover over the P-trap assembly inaccordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 8A and 8B disclose an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention utilizing a collar structure which may be wrapped around apipe juncture to form a generally continuous insulative cover.Specifically, FIG. 8A illustrates a wrappable collar structure 220 whichhas opposing ends 221 and 222 which may be fastened together to form acontinuous collar structure around a fastening nut 224. Preferably,collar structure 220 is dimensioned in length L2 to partially overlapthe adjacent cover pieces 225 and 226 at the pipe juncture. However,collar structure 220 may abut with the ends of the cover pieces. Oncethe cover pieces 225, 226 have been placed on their respective pipesections and the pipe sections have been attached together by fasteningnut 224, collar structure 220 is wrapped around the pipe juncture andfastened at its ends by an appropriate fastening structure. Severalexamples of appropriate fastening structures are illustrated in FIGS. 8Aand 8B. For example, a suitable fastening structure might include a tab228 and an opposing slot 229 which receives the tab 228 and holds theopposing collar structure ends 221, 222 together. Alternatively,opposing strips 230, 231 of a hook and loop fastener, such as VELCRO®,might be utilized wherein the opposing ends 221, 222 would overlap asshown in FIG. 8A. FIG. 8B shows another alternative fastening structure,including a tongue 232 and groove 233 which receives the tongue andfastens opposing ends 221, 222 together. Thereby, the wrappable collarstructure 220 of FIGS. 8A and 8B may be easily and quickly installedaround a fastening nut 224 and pipe juncture, and just as readilyremoved from the pipe juncture. Wrappable collar structure 220 mightalso be dimensioned to slide up and down on the respective cover pieces225, 226 once it has been installed similar to collar structuresillustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B or may be made to flex so that it may berolled back.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate another embodiment of the insulative cover ofthe present invention. Instead of utilizing a separate collar structureto cover the fastening nut and juncture, the fastening nut 236 iscovered with a layer of insulative material 238. The layer of material238 encircles nut 236 and preferably is dimensioned longer in length L3than the thickness T of nut 236 to extend above and below the pipejuncture covered by nut 236. The opposing cover pieces 240, 242 haverespective ends 243, 244 which abut against the insulative materiallayer 238 of nut structure 236 to form a generally continuous insulativecover at the pipe juncture. Alternatively, the cover pieces 240, 242 mayoverlap the nut cover 238 or vice versa. The insulated nut eliminatesthe necessity of assembling the pipe sections and then placing a collarover the fastening nut and pipe. Instead, the pipe sections are coveredwith their respective cover pieces and then are fastened together withthe insulated nut 236 to provide a continuous insulative cover at thejuncture.

Insulated material layer 238 might also be dimensioned in length suchthat an overlap portion extends from one or both ends of the nutstructure 236. As shown in FIG. 9B, the insulated nut structure 246includes a layer of insulated material 248 which has an extensionportion 249 which extends beyond an end 250 of an adjacent insulativecover piece 252. The extension portion 249 overlaps with end 250 ofcover piece 252 to provide continuous coverage of the juncture. Theextension portion 249 illustrated in FIG. 9B is dimensioned to slidewithin cover piece 252 such that the cover piece overlaps extensionportion 249. Alternatively, and as shown in phantom in FIG. 9B, theextension portion 249 might also be dimensioned to overlap the end 250of cover piece 252. As mentioned, the insulative nut structuresillustrated in FIG. 9A and 9B, eliminate the need to utilize a collarstructure or a flexible collar portion in order to insulate the pipejuncture. In use, the insulative cover pieces, such as cover pieces 240and 242, are inserted over their respective pipe sections and pipesections are fastened together utilizing an insulated nut structure suchnut structure 236. When the pipe sections are fastened together, theends 243, 244 of the cover pieces are then moved to abut nut structure236 and the layer of insulative material 238 or may already be placedproximate the pipe juncture such that ends 243, 244 automatically abutagainst the nut structure 236 and the layer of insulative material 238.Alternatively, the cover pieces might be made to overlap an extensionportion of the insulated fastening nut as shown in FIG. 9B. It will beappreciated that the collar structures and insulated nut structures ofFIGS. 6A-6D, 8A-8B, and 9A-9B may be utilized for either of the forwardand rearward junctures 214, 216, of an undersink piping assembly asshown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 discloses another alternative embodiment of the undersink pipingcover assembly of the present invention. The cover assembly includes anL-shaped cover piece 256 and a J-shaped cover piece 258 which cover therespective pipe pieces of the undersink drain piping assembly 259. Agenerally straight cover piece 260 is placed on a pipe section 262 whichextends between a drain opening 263 and the trap pipe section 264covered by the J-shaped cover piece 258. A fastening nut 266 couplespipe sections 262 and 264 together at a pipe juncture. Cover piece 260is dimensioned to have a length shorter than the length of therespective pipe section 262 which it is covering. Piece 260 is slidableupwardly and downwardly on the pipe section 262. The piece 260 is slidupwardly to expose the pipe juncture, and is then slid downwardly afterthe pipe sections 262, 264 are fastened together by nut 226 at thejuncture. More specifically, when pipe sections 262 and 264 are fastenedtogether, cover piece 260 is moved upwardly, exposing nut 266 and thepipe juncture. When piece 260 is moved downwardly to cover fastening nut266 and the pipe juncture after the pipe sections 262 and 264 have beenassembled together, the cover piece 260 leaves an exposed portion 268 ofpipe section 262 proximate the drain opening 263. To cover the exposedportion 268 collar structure 270 is placed over the portion. The collarstructure 270 is preferably a collar structure similar to the collarstructures disclosed in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6A-6D, and 8A-8B and discussedhereinabove. That is, collar structure 270 might be a slidable orwrappable collar structure which may be slid down or unwrapped,respectively, to expose portion 268 of the pipe 262 so that cover piece260 may be slid up and down on pipe section 262. Alternatively, aflexible collar might be folded downwardly to expose portion 268 when itis slid up and down on the pipe section as designated 269 in FIG. 10.Once the piece 260 has been moved down over nut 266 and the pipejuncture, and the collar structure 270 covers the exposed portion 268, agenerally continuous insulative cover is presented from drain opening263 all the way to the wall 271 While the slidable cover piece is shownon the generally straight pipe section, the cover piece might also besimilarly constructed and operable on the L-shaped pipe section.

In accordance with the embodiments of the present invention disclosedhereinabove, the cover piece 260 might utilize a collar proximate thepipe juncture to fit over and cover nut 266 and the associated pipejuncture, and limit the downward movement of cover piece 260 to apredetermined position. Alternatively, and as illustrated in FIGS. 11A,11B, and 12, a stop projection might be utilized at the end of thegenerally straight piece 260 or the end of the J-shaped piece 258 inorder to limit the downward motion of cover piece 260 when it is broughtdown to cover nut 266 and the pipe juncture. In such a case, the coverpieces would preferably have uniform diameters along their length,although variations from a uniform diameter might be utilized inaccordance with the principles of the present invention as will berecognized by persons of ordinary skill in the art. For example, FIG.11A illustrates a cover piece 274 which is preferably dimensionedshorter in length than the length of respective covered pipe section276. Attached to pipe section 276 is another pipe section 278 which iscovered by an insulative cover piece 280, which is preferably, althoughnot necessarily, stationary with respect to pipe section 278. Pipesections 276 and 278 are attached by a fastening nut 282. Extendinginwardly of the inner wall 283 of cover piece 274 is a stop projection284 which preferably encircles the entire pipe. As will be appreciatedby a person of ordinary skill in art, stop projection 284 might notcompletely encircle pipe section 276, but may instead extend inwardly ofwall 283 in sections at various positions around pipe section 276. Thestop projection halts the downward movement of cover piece 274 when thecover pieces 274, 280 are seated together to cover the juncture. Oneversion of this stop projection 284 is dimensioned to extend inwardly ofwall 283 so that it abuts against fastening nut 282 when the cover piece274 is slid downwardly to cover nut 282 and the pipe juncture as shownin FIG. 11A.

In an alternative version, the various cover pieces might be dimensionedlarger than the respective pipe sections such that the stop projectionof one cover piece abuts against an end of an adjacent cover pieceinstead of abutting against the fastening nut in order to situate thevarious cover pieces at a predetermined position with respect to thepipe juncture. More specifically, the embodiment shown in FIG. 11Butilizes cover pieces 286 and 288 with a stop projection 290 situated onpiece 286. The stop projection 290 on piece 286 abuts against an end 291on cover piece 288. Similar to the version illustrated in FIG. 11A,cover piece 286 may be slid upwardly on the respective pipe section 292and then downwardly to cover the pipe juncture and present a generallycontinuous insulative cover. Preferably, the stop projection ispositioned on the respective cover piece such that there is an overlapbetween the adjacent cover pieces at the juncture. As mentioned, coverpiece 286 is stopped in its downward motion by stop projection 290 whichabuts against the end 291 of the lower cover piece 288.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, a stop projection 294 might be positioned onthe lower cover piece 296 while the upper cover piece 298 is moved withrespect to the pipe juncture. Cover piece 298 would then be slidupwardly and downwardly and the lower end 299 of cover piece 298 wouldabut against stop projection 294 to prevent any further downward slidingof cover piece 298. Again, as shown in FIG. 12, it is preferable toposition the stop projection 294 such there is overlap between the endsof the respective cover pieces 296 and 298.

An alternative embodiment of the J-shaped cover piece utilized with thepresent invention is shown in FIGS. 13A, 13B and 13C. The cover piece300 includes a first straight portion 301 and a second straight portion302. The straight portions are connected by a curved portion 304 whichhas an outermost point 306. Generally, the J-shaped piping section ortrap pipe 308 of an undersink drain piping assembly will include a drainopening 310 which is sealed by a closure plug 312. The drain opening 310allows the inside of the trap pipe 308 to be accessed in case some smallobject is dropped down the sink, such as a ring or other valuable. Theclosure plug 312 may be removed so that the item sitting in the bottomof the trap pipe 308 may be retrieved through the drain opening 310. Thecover piece 300 of the present invention utilizes an opening andpreferably a hollow projection with extends from the curved portion 304proximate the end most point 306. The projection 314 surrounds drainopening 310 to cover and insulate the drain opening to prevent scaldingor abrasion to a person who brushes against the trap pipe 308. Anopening 316 is defined at one end of projection 314 to allow access todrain opening 310. The projection 314 may be utilized to access thedrain opening to retrieve a lost item from trap pipe 308 withoutremoving cover piece 300 from the pipe. This amounts to a substantialsavings of time and effort because the P-trap piping assembly remainstogether and the insulative cover on the piping assembly remains inposition. That is, the pipes do not have to be disassembled andsubsequently reinsulated with various cover pieces.

In one version of the cover piece 300, the projection might be formed ofa flexible material so that is may be folded back as shown by phantomprojection 318 in FIG. 13A. Furthermore, the projection opening 316might be closed with an appropriate closure to provide completeinsulative coverage of trap pipe 308. For example, FIG. 13A shows aclosure plug 320 (shown in phantom) which might cover drain opening 310.Alternatively, FIG. 13B shows a closure cap 322 which may be placed overopening 316 of projection 314. In a further alternative version, FIG.13C discloses a closure flap 324 which is hingedly attached toprojection 314 and which is opened and closed as shown in the figure toallow access to the drain opening. While a projection is preferable oncover piece 300, an aperture might simply be formed to allow access tothe drain opening without projection 314 extending from the piece.

As shown in FIG. 1 and discussed above, the undersink drain piping mayinclude an offset grid drain piece 35 which moves the P-trap pipingassembly rearwardly a distance D from the front of sink basin 56 toprovide more undersink room for a person in a wheelchair to access thesink. To cover the offset grid drain 35 (show in FIG. 4 in phantom withreference number 121), the invention includes an offset grid drain coverpiece 120 as shown in FIG. 4 which includes a generally horizontal longportion 122, 90° curve 124 and a shorter vertical portion 126. While a90° curve in an offset grid drain is typical, other angles may beutilized and the cover piece 120 may be configured to match a particulardrain without deviating from the scope of the present invention. Anopening 127 is defined at one end of the short portion 126 while thelong portion 122 bends at approximately 90° at the end opposite curve124 to define an opening 123 that has an axis generally parallel thelongitudinal axis of the short portion 126 and generally perpendicularthe long portion 122. Opening 123 is configured and dimensioned to liegenerally against the bottom of a sink covering the drain opening whilecover piece opening 127 is oriented and dimensioned to receive the upperend of the straight cover piece 70. When assembled, the offset griddrain cover piece 120 meets straight cover piece 70 to form a completedcover over the pipe juncture between the straight pipe 74 and offsetgrid drain 121 (See FIGS. 3, 4, and 5).

The shorter vertical portion 126 of offset grid drain cover piece 120includes a flexible collar 128 and a detachable securing band 130 at thelower end thereof which define opening 127. Collar 128 and band 130 areflexible to be folded back along vertical portion 126 when the coverpiece 120 is installed over grid drain 121 (See FIG. 4A). As furtherdiscussed hereinbelow, band 130 may be supplied as a separate piece asopposed to being detachably fixed to the flexible collar 128. Tofacilitate easy installation of cover piece 120 over grid drain 123, alongitudinal slit 132 extends along horizontal portion 122 from opening121 to preferably curve 124. In use, cover 120 is split or spread apartalong the horizontal slit 132 and placed around the offset grid drain121 as shown in FIG. 4.

Offset grid drain 121 and straight pipe section 74 of the P-trap aresecured together during installation by a nut or other mechanism such aspipe nut 129 (See FIG. 4A). Once the juncture between pipe sections 74and 121 is completed and sealed in a watertight seal, flexible collar128 is folded downwardly to cover nut 129 and the juncture between pipesection 74 and drain 121. However, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, prior tofolding collar 128 down, detachable band 130 is severed from collar 128and is slid up along portion 126, over curve 124, and onto horizontalportion 122, partially overlapping horizontal slit 132 and holding coverpiece 120 closed at slit 132. This further secures cover piece 120 tothe offset grid drain 121. In an alternative embodiment, band 130 may beformed and used as a separate piece. The separate band would then beslid over cover piece 120 to close slit 132 when the cover piece isapplied. A separate band would function similar to the detachable bandshown in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4A shows band 130 in phantom before it has beendetached from folded collar 128 and shows it again after it has beenmoved to encircle portion 122 and hold cover piece 120 together at slit132. Band 130 may be detached from flexible collar 128 by being cut,such as with a knife, or the band 130 may include perforations aroundthe point of connection 131 to collar 128. Such perforations would alloweasier severance such as with a less sharp instrument or even by hand.Cover piece 120 completely covers the offset grid drain 121 and issecured thereon through the use of band 130.

When the P-trap assembly including offset grid drain 121, is complete,the flexible collar 128 is folded downwardly over the junction betweenthe grid drain 121 and pipe section 74 to overlap the upper end of thestraight cover piece 70 and provide complete coverage and insulation atthe juncture between the two pipe sections. Flexible collar 128 extendsdownwardly to prevent dirt and other bacteria from being trapped underthe collar. FIG. 5 shows the installed cover piece 120 of the presentinvention which is secured to the offset grid drain with band 130. Asmay be appreciated, the use of an offset grid drain 121 moves the P-traprearwardly from the front of the sink basin (See FIG. 3). Accordingly,when using the present invention with undersink piping having an offsetgrid drain, the length of L-shaped cover piece 82 may need to bereduced. This may be done by either manufacturing a shorter piece orcutting a longer L-shaped piece down to size prior to installation inthe field.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the offset grid drainpipe section and the J-shaped pipe section or trap pipe section arecovered with a smooth layer of insulative material to insulate therespective pipe section to prevent burns or abrasions as discussedabove. Offset grid drains and trap pipes have curved portions which makeit difficult to slip a separate cover piece over the pipe section whenan undersink drain piping assembly is being insulated. In the past, ithas been necessary to put a slit in the cover piece over its entirelength in order to facilitate installation of the cover piece under therespective trap pipe or offset grid drain. Such slits leave openings andcrevices in which dirt and bacteria are trapped and collected. As may beappreciated, in sterile environments such as hospitals and other medicalor even industrial facilities, the reduction of bacteria and othercontaminants is of paramount importance. Furthermore, the slits on thepieces make them difficult to secure on the pipes. Accordingly, coverpieces which include various slits or openings may not be suitable forsuch sterile applications and are sometimes difficult to use.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the trappipe and offset grid drain of an undersink piping assembly are coveredwith a layer of insulative material such that there is generally acontinuous cover over the respective pipe section. It should beunderstood that the other pipe sections might be similarly insulated andcovered, although the curved pipe sections make them particularlyappropriate for the present invention. In accordance with the presentinvention, the layer of insulative cover material does not have a slitor opening along a substantial portion of its length and preferably doesnot have any slit or opening anywhere thereon to provide a generallycontinuous cover piece to completely cover the pipe section and reducedirt and other contaminants from being trapped on the pipe section andinsulative cover. A unique method is utilized in order to cover anundersink pipe section with a layer of insulative material which iscontinuous along the length of the pipe section. The resulting insulatedpipe section enables a more efficient installment of the insulatedundersink drain piping. Furthermore, when completed, the insulativecover assembly is free from any openings or slits which may collect dirtand contaminants.

In a preferred insulating method, a piping section to be covered ispre-heated in a range of approximately 100° F. to 750° F. and preferablyaround 350° F. The ends of the pipe sections to be covered areprotected, such as by being sealed, with an appropriate closure toprevent insulative material from being applied to the inside walls ofthe pipe section and to prevent the covering of any threads with a layerof insulation. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 15, a J-shaped pipesection 330 is sealed at its ends by threaded caps 332. The caps 332screw onto the ends of the J-shaped pipe section which are alsothreaded. The caps 332 are dimensioned in length and configured suchthat when the layer of insulative material 334 is applied in accordancewith the principles of the present invention, collar sections 336 arecreated at the ends of the insulated pipe section as will be describedin greater detail hereinbelow. The collar sections 336 overlap thesecuring nuts which are used to attach the other pipe sections of thedrain assembly to pipe section 330 in order to form a continuousinsulative cover over the entire drain assembly. Generally, the J-shapedtrap pipe sections are sized in 11/4" and 11/2" diameters. The caps 332are sized accordingly to produce collar sections 336 of larger diameterthan the pipe sections. Preferably, the caps 332 are dimensioned to havethe same outer diameter for both the 11/4" and 11/2" trap pipe sectionsto yield a consistent diameter collar section 336 so that the coverpieces on the straight and L-shaped pipe sections will operate readilywith either sized trap pipe. Alternatively, the caps 332 might beconfigured so that there are no collar sections formed, and separatecollar structures as discussed above are utilized.

After the ends of the pipe section 330 have been sealed or otherwiseprotected, a layer of liquified insulation material is then applied tothe heated pipe section 330 to cover generally the entire pipe section.In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a layer of liquifiedinsulation material is applied to the heated pipe section 330 by dippingthe pipe section within a container containing liquified insulationmaterial. It has been found that the dipping method provides a smoothcontinuous coating on the pipe section free of air bubbles or other gapsin the insulative layer which may expose a section of the pipe or maytrap dirt and contaminants. One suitable insulation material forinsulating the pipe sections according to the method of the presentinvention is Vinyl Plastisol as mentioned above.

When covering a trap pipe section, such as pipe section 330, the pipesection is preferably inverted when it is dipped into the liquifiedinsulation material. Referring again to FIG. 15, another plug 338 isfixed within the drain opening 339 of pipe section 330. A stem 340extends from plug 338 and is fixed to an appropriate supportingstructure so that pipe section 330 may be dipped in the accordance withthe principles of the present invention. Plug 338 is dimensioned suchthat a layer of insulation material adheres thereon and forms aprojection to cover the drain opening 339 as disclosed in FIGS. 13A, 13Band 13C and discussed in greater detail hereinabove. As may beappreciated, the liquified insulation material will tend to run somewhatafter pipe section 330 has been dipped and there is a tendency fordrippage to occur along the pipe section 330. The drippage terminates inundesirable streaks and small material nipples which degrade the look ofthe insulated pipe section. It has been found that inverting the pipesection 330 concentrates the streaks and nipples at the ends of the pipesections proximate the caps 332. The material, including the streaks andnipples, may then be cut away from the caps 332 so that the caps may beremoved from pipe section 330.

When the pipe section is dipped into the liquified insulation material,it is preferably allowed to dwell in the material. The dwell time isapproximately equal to the time that the pipe section was pre-heated.The preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes a pre-heattemperature of approximately 350° F. for three to six minutes, and thepipe section should dwell in the liquified insulation material forapproximately three to six minutes. As may be appreciated, other dwelltimes might be utilized in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention depending upon preheat times in order to achieve a suitableinsulative layer on the pipe section.

After the pipe section 330 has been dipped and a layer of coatingmaterial is formed thereon, the pipe section is placed in a cure oven ora suitable heat curing device for a predetermined curing time to allowthe layer of insulative material to harden. The curing time will alsodepend upon the time that the pipe section spent in the pre-heat stage.Again, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a curing timeof approximately three to six minutes will generally be suitable whenthe pipe sections has been preheated at 350° F. for a similar amount oftime before being dipped. The curing oven will be at a temperaturesomewhere in range between 75° F. and 900° F. and preferably around 350°F. Once the insulated pipe section has been sufficiently cured, it isremoved from the cure oven and the ends of the pipe section areunsealed.

As discussed above, the insulation material is removed from the plugs332 and the plugs are removed from the ends of the pipe section 330.When the plugs are removed, a suitable amount of insulation materialremains to form collar sections 336. Referring again to FIG. 15, it maybe seen that one end of the insulative caps 332 is tapered to form atransition section 333. Preferably, the transition section 333 of cap332 is rounded. When the insulative material is cut away from cap 332, acollar portion 336 will exist which is generally wider in diameter Dthan the diameter of the insulated pipe section 330. The roundedtransition section 333 on cap 332 insures a smooth transition from thesmaller diameter pipe section to the larger diameter collar portion 330.The transition insures that if the collars are made flexible to befolded back, any tearing of the insulation material is limited at thetransitions between the insulated pipe section 330 diameter and thecollar portion 336 diameter. Of course, all of the material around cap332 might be removed upon unsealing cover piece 330 so that no collarsections 336 are formed. In that case, wrappable or other suitablecollar structure might be utilized in accordance with the principles ofthe present invention. When the plug 338 is removed, a projectionportion 342 is formed at the outermost point of the curved region of thetrap pipe due to the dimension of plug 338. As discussed above withrespect to FIGS. 13A, 13B and 13C, the projection 342 provides coverageof the drain opening 339 and a closure plug which seals drain opening339.

The unique method of covering the pipe section with insulative materialyields a continuous insulative layer on the pipe section which containsno slits or other openings which might trap dirt and contaminants.Utilizing closures plugs and suspending the pipe sections from one ormore of these plugs insures that there are no uninsulated points on thepipe section which might exist if the pipe section was clamped by asupporting structure. In accordance with the principles of the presentinvention, the pipe section might be sprayed with the liquifiedinsulative material after it has been appropriately sealed rather thandipping the section. Still further, another process such as a moldingprocess might be utilized to form a layer of insulation material on apipe section in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

As mentioned above, once the pipe 330 section has been covered with alayer of insulation material, the end caps 332 are removed to expose thethreaded ends of the pipe section 330. After the unneeded insulationmaterial has been removed from the caps 332 and the caps have beenunscrewed from the pipe section, the pipe section is generally ready tobe installed beneath a sink. The junctures between the pipe sections maybe covered by the collar portions 336 on the pipe section 330 or mightbe covered with other collar structures in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention. The insulated pipe section 330would generally be free of a slit along a substantial portion of itslength although slits might be made proximate the ends of the pipesection near a collar portion 336 in order to facilitate easierinstallation of the pipe section 330. Preferably however, the layer ofinsulative material on the pipe section 330 is completely free of anyslits or openings along its entire length.

Similarly, offset grid drains of various shapes may be covered utilizingthe insulating methods of the present invention. For example, FIGS. 14Aand 14B disclose two versions of an offset grid drain. In FIG. 14A, theoffset grid drain 350 has a threaded end 352 with internal threads whichreceive a plug 354 to seal the end and prevent insulation material fromreaching the inside of the offset grid drain. Preferably, the plug 354is configured with the threaded end 352 such that there is no build-upof insulative material proximate the threaded end. The offset grid drain350 is generally installed such that the threaded end 352 abuts againstthe underside of a sink. Offset grid drain 352 has another end 356 whichreceives a cap 358 thereon. Cap 358 has an internal bore 355 so as toallow second end 356 of grid drain 350 to slide therein. The cap 358 isheld in place by an appropriate fastening mechanism such as a set screw359. A stem 360 or similar supporting structure extends from cap 358 andis utilized to hold the offset grid drain 354 while insulation materialis applied such as by dipping the grid drain into liquified insulationmaterial. When the layer of insulative material 362 is cured on theoffset grid drain 350, the plug 354 is removed and any excess insulationmaterial is cut away from the threaded end 352. Similarly, the cap 358is removed from end 356 of the offset grid drain. The cap 358 may have alarger diameter than the offset grid drain 350 to produce a collarsection 361 as shown in FIG. 14A. The collar section 361 operatessimilar to collar section 336 on the J-shaped pipe section of FIG. 15.Cap 358 also preferably has an angled transition 363 to allow flexing ofcollar section 361 if desired.

Referring now to FIG. 14B, an alternative version of the offset griddrain is shown and may be covered in a similar manner as discussed withrespect to the offset grid drain of FIG. 14A. In the offset grid drain364 of FIG. 14B, the generally straight cover piece utilized in variousembodiments of the present invention has been incorporated into thestructure of the offset grid drain. More specifically, one of thevertical sections 366 the offset grid drain 364 has been extended in adownward direction in order to connect directly to one end of a J-shapedtrap pipe section. The extension 366 eliminates the need for a generallystraight pipe section to connect the offset grid drain to the J-shapedtrap pipe section and therefore eliminates the need for one of therespective cover pieces. The offset grid drain 364 is covered in asimilar way as described with respect to the offset grid drain 350.Since the offset grid drain 362 with be utilized in place of a generallystraight pipe section, the cap 368 which seals end 367 of the offsetgrid drain is preferably, although not necessarily, dimensioned suchthat when the offset grid drain is covered with liquified insulationmaterial, a collar portion 370 is created. As discussed hereinabove, thecollar portion 370 covers the pipe juncture and associated fasteningstructures such as a fastening nut.

The generally straight pipe sections and L-shaped pipe sections mightalso be covered utilizing the method as described; however, since thesepipe sections are predominantly straight sections, separate cover piecesmay be used to suitably cover the pipe sections and present aninsulative cover which is free from slits or openings.

Conventional undersink piping further includes water supply pipes andvalves commonly referred to as water angle valves. These water anglevalves and associated piping must also be covered in compliance withvarious regulations, especially the hot water angle valve and pipingwhich may scald a person if contacted uncovered. As shown in FIG. 1,typical water angle valves 31, 33 include a supply line 19, a valve 21connected to the supply line, and a faucet line 23 which connects fromthe valve 21 to the sink plumbing such as faucet 14. The faucet line 23,when valve 21 is open, delivers water to the faucet 14 as determined byfaucet valves 16, 18. Valves 21, 21 includes a valve handle 25 which isrotated to open and close valve 21 and deliver water to the faucet line23, 23 and faucet 14.

The present invention as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 includes water anglevalve covers for the hot and cold water angle valves. Since the anglevalves are generally identical, the cover pieces are generally identicalfor the hot and cold water angle valves. Referring to FIG. 4, the anglevalve cover comprises an elongated first piece 134 which is generallycylindrical in shape to fit over the supply line 137 and valve 139. Thefirst piece 134 includes an elongated pipe portion 136 which isintegrally attached with a valve portion 138. The valve portion 138 isdimensioned larger than the pipe portion to fit over valve 139. Avertical projection 140 extends generally perpendicular to the valveportion 138 to cover a vertical extension 141 extending from valve 139in FIG. 4. The cover piece 134 has a longitudinal slit 142 from one end135, along line portion 136 and part of portion 138, and up to andincluding one side of the projection 140. As shown in FIG. 4,longitudinal slit 142 allows piece 134 to be split or spread apart alongmost of its length to be installed over supply line 137 and valve 139.As further shown in FIG. 4, the extension 141 of valve 139 is connectedto a faucet line 144, such as by using a pipe nut 145. The projection140 on cover piece 134 extends over valve extension 141 when piece 134is placed over line 137 and valve 139.

The invention further includes a second elongated cover piece 146 whichis placed over faucet line 144 when the water angle valves areinstalled. At the end of cover piece 146, proximate pipe nut 145 and thejuncture where line 144 meets the valve projection 141, cover piece 146includes an integral, flexible collar 148. Collar 148 is preferablylarger in diameter than the rest of cover piece 146 and is foldedupwardly along cover piece 146 during installation. After the cover 134has been placed over line 137 and valve 139, then cover 146 is placedover line 144, and line 144 is attached to valve 139. Next, flexiblecollar 148 is folded downwardly over nut 145, extension 141 andprojection 140 to provide a complete cover over the juncture betweenvalve 139 and faucet line 144. The downwardly extending collar 148prevents dirt and bacteria from settling in the collar and being trappedthereunder. Collar 148 serves to hold the cover piece 134 together ontopipe 137 and valve 139 by holding the projection 140 together over aportion of the slit 142. Thus collar 138 secures cover piece 134 of theinvention to line 137 and valve 139. To further secure cover piece 134,one or more external fastening wraps 150 might be utilized over slit 142to hold cover piece 134 together along the slit (See FIG. 5).

Cover piece 134 further includes an opening or aperture 143 at the endof the valve portion 138. As shown in FIG. 4, the valve 139 of the waterangle valve piping assembly includes a stem 145. Stem 147 attaches to avalve handle 149 (See FIG. 5) which is rotated to open and close thevalve 139. During installation of cover piece 134, the stem 147 isinserted through aperture 143 and the handle 149 attached thereto. Inone embodiment of the invention, a valve handle piece 152 is includedwhich is configured to cover valve handle 147 and is placed thereon tocomplete the cover assembly.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the present invention may be easily andquickly installed so that, when fully assembled, it provides anaesthetically pleasing cover for undersink piping which completelycovers and insulates the undersink drain piping and water supply piping.The present invention may be manufactured utilizing Vinyl Plastisol fromPlastomeric of New Baltimore, Ohio which provides adequate insulationand cushioning to prevent burns or abrasions from contact with the pipesbut allows flexing of the flexible collars. The material used tomanufacture the cover pieces may be injected into a die corresponding toa particular piece when in a flowing state and then allowed to harden toa set form. Accordingly, other materials might be utilized withoutdeviating from the scope of the invention.

The insulative cover embodiments of the present invention have minimal,exposed cavities for trapping dirt or other bacteria. Preferably, theflexible collars of the one embodiment of the present invention areutilized so that when fully assembled, the cover assembly includes aseries of downwardly turned overlap collars which prevent dirt andbacteria from settling by gravity at the pipe junctures. The insulativecover of the present invention are simple to install, requiring very fewtools, very little time and little or no external fasteners.

The flexible collars and other collar structures in combination with thevarious cover pieces allow quick and easy assembly and use of theinvention by exposing pipe junctures and pipe nuts for furthermanipulation during assembly of a P-trap drain and application of theinvention. Furthermore, since the various collar structures may be movedaway from the junctures to expose the pipe junctures, the various coverpieces may be first placed on their respective pipe sections and thepipe sections assembled into a complete P-trap. This amounts to asubstantial savings in time when using the invention and assembling aP-trap drain. Additionally, since the various collar structures allowindividual cover pieces of the invention to be applied to the respectivepipe sections prior to assembly of the P-trap, the cover sectionsrequire little or no additional securement to the pipe sections afterinstallation.

For example, in one embodiment of the invention, the L-shaped andstraight cover pieces 70, 82 are essentially whole, unslit, tubularpieces which, because of their flexible collars, may be slid over thestraight and L-shaped pipe sections 88, 72 prior to assembly of theP-trap. Once installed and the collars folded down, the straight andL-shaped cover pieces 70, 82 completely cover their respective pipesections 88, 72 and are secure thereon without need for additionalsecuring mechanisms. Furthermore, when the J-shaped cover piece 108 isslit partially there along from both ends and generally through theflexible collars, there might be a tendency for the J-shaped cover pieceto be loose. However, with the present invention, once the P-trap hasbeen assembled and all of the cover pieces of the present inventioninstalled with the flexible collars rolled down to cover the pipe nutsand pipe junctures, the overlapping collars from the straight andL-shaped pieces cover the collars on the J-shaped piece and portions ofthe slit J-shaped piece to hold the J-shaped cover apiece in place andthe collars of the J-shaped piece securely wrapped around the pipesection.

While the present invention has been illustrated by the description ofthe embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been describedin considerable detail, it is not the intention of applicant to restrictor in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail.Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to thoseskilled in the art. For example, the slidable and wrappable collars ofthe present invention may have different shapes than the collarstructures disclosed herein. Furthermore, the slidable and wrappablecollars may be removably fixed to the respective cover pieces to besevered or detached from those pieces and placed around the pipejunctures. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is notlimited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method,and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departuresmay be made from such details without departure from the spirit or scopeof applicant's general inventive concept.

What is claimed is:
 1. An insulative cover piece for insulating theJ-shaped piping section of a P-tray drain pipe assembly which pipesection includes a drain opening sealed with a closure plug, the covercomprising:first and second straight portions and a curved portionextending between said straight portions, the curved portion having anoutermost point which is proximate said pipe section drain opening andclosure plug; an aperture formed in the curved portion proximate theoutermost point, the aperture defining an opening such that said drainopening may be accessed by removing said closure plug through theaperture; a protective structure extending from said curved portionproximate said aperture, the protective structure being operable tocover a portion of said drain opening and closure plug to insulate saiddrain opening and plug.
 2. An insulative cover piece as in claim 1wherein said protective structure further comprises a hollow projectionextending from the curved portion proximate the outermost point andcoupled to said aperture at one end thereof.
 3. An insulative coverpiece as in claim 2 further comprising a flap coupled to the projectionproximate an opening of the projection, the flap movable to open andclose the opening such that the projection completely covers saidclosure plug.
 4. An insulative cover piece as in claim 2 furthercomprising a removable cap configured to fit over the projection openingto open and close the opening such that the projection completely coverssaid closure plug.
 5. An insulative cover piece as in claim 2 furthercomprising a removable cover plug configured to fit inside theprojection opening to open and close the opening such that theprojection completely covers said closure plug.
 6. An insulative coverpiece as in claim 2 wherein the projection includes a flexible sectionwhich may be rolled back to expose said drain opening and closure plug.